Jordan Nwora lays down the background of his move to Anadolu Efes, reveals the message he got from Giannis Antetokounmpo, and names the matchups he's mostly looking forward to experiencing in his maiden EuroLeague season.
Coming off a solid, 34-game stint with the Toronto Raptors last season, Jordan Nwora had no intention at all of moving overseas.
"I didn't think that this would be happening this year. I thought I was going to go back to the NBA. That was the plan," the 26-year-old forward told BasketNews in Athens on the occasion of the 6th Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament, hosted by Panathinaikos AKTOR on September 21.
"But Efes came, and it was hard to turn them down. Hopefully, it will pay off," he added.
A second-round NBA Draft pick in 2020, Nwora had watched only a handful of EuroLeague games before taking the Turkish powerhouse's offer. Having started in just one out of his last 52 NBA games, he needed to make sure that his role with Efes would make the transition worthwhile.
"I think the main thing was just the opportunity I was going to have," he said, referring to his decision.
One of the main incentives for any player coming to Europe is the chance to showcase his skills and maybe get another shot at the NBA. Nwora thinks that the way basketball is played in the Old Continent can allow him to become a better all-around player.
"Throughout my career so far, there have been times where I lacked the opportunity," he stressed.
"And here, they're willing to give me all the opportunity I need and let me grow as a player. That's a big thing -- play with great talent and be able to play a lot of minutes and help the team win," Nwora explained and mentioned Elijah Bryant, his Milwaukee Bucks teammate on the squad that won the NBA title in 2021.
"I definitely talked to him before I played here," he confirmed.
"He was one of the ones who helped me put it together and make the move. Same with Shane [Larkin] and coach Tomi [Mijatovic]. I had a lot of talks. It was obviously a big decision."
Anadolu Efes Istanbul / Schedule
Virtus Segafredo Bologna
Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Maccabi Playtika Tel AvivNwora was particularly eager to know more about Efes' goals and how they planned on moving forward following a dry 2023-24 campaign.
"I asked about what they wanted to do over, how they could make me a better player and use me on the team. I asked them what their aspirations are, and they said all the right things," he argued.
And as soon as the deal was sealed, a text message from a familiar person appeared on Nwora's cell phone screen. It came from Giannis Antetokounmpo, with whom Nwora has kept in touch since joining the Bucks in 2020.
"It was more so of just a 'congratulations'," Nwora said. "He thinks I'm going to do really well out here."
Giannis first introduced Nwora to Athens in the summer of 2022. The 'Greek Freak' promoted the film RISE, based on his life, while his then-teammate attended the premiere and had the chance to do some individual workouts.
However, visiting the Greek capital for an open-air event like the one Panathinaikos hosted gave Nwora a first taste of how basketball is played in Europe. The first thing he noticed was the intensity of the crowd's engagement.
"It's crazy! It's my first time playing over here, and I don't think I've ever seen fans like this," he observed with exuberance.
"It's definitely unique -- just how in tune everybody is. Obviously, the tunnel was crazy walking in, and I never thought I'd be able to play a game here. It's something I will remember forever."
At high school, Nwora attended Amherst, Buffalo and Vermont. That was the period when he last played outside.
"It's hard to make shots when the wind's blowing," he commented on his experience at the Panathenaic Stadium. "But not a lot of people get this opportunity, so it was great."
Efes have already started off the season on the right foot with a win over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the Turkish SuperCup final and a road triumph against Virtus Bologna in their EuroLeague opener. Nwora recorded 5 points and 4 rebounds in his debut.
"We have a really good team, and we've had good transfers," he said of Efes.
"Obviously, Shane Larkin has been the greatest over here to do it. I think that we have a team that can make some noise this year, for sure."
Since Nwora introduced noise into the conversation, he's mostly looking forward to experiencing two matchups in particular.
"I think, coming to Athens and playing Pana. I've heard a lot about Fenerbahce, we're hostile rivals. Those are the two games I'm most excited to play," he said.
Even though he's still a newcomer, Nwora is certain that Juan Toscano-Anderson's viral quote on the G League being second-best worldwide has no bearing on reality.
"I've been here for a month, and I can tell you for sure that I don't agree with that statement," he clarified.
"Like I said, I've never seen something like this in the NBA. And we're outside right now. So, I can't imagine what it's like inside."
It's high time Nwora found out for himself while making a living in front of some of the noisiest crowds on the planet.
